TREVOR
Banging on the front door tore him away from a peaceful sleep. His instincts were to flee, but his common sense told him to stay and face his unwanted guest. He jumped out of bed and grabbed a shirt from the floor, then almost fell down the stairs as he fought to shake off the claws of sleep. “Coming!”
He opened the door to a mountain of a man, who roughly shoved him aside and barged in.
“Did I wake you?”
Trevor rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, what do you think? It’s the middle of the goddamn night.”
“It’s nine o’clock.”
Trevor glanced at his watch. “Oh.”
The huge, bald man, whose name Trevor had never bothered remembering, glanced around. “Don’t you ever clean this place?”
“I have other things on my mind.”
“Like sleeping?”
“Are you my dead mother? I’m working on getting the money I owe Sam. I just need to sort out themisunderstanding with my parents’ will. Bureaucracy takes time.”
“Sam understands that, and he knows your parents had millions lying around, but he needs at least part of the moneynow.”
Trevor chuckled. “I have twenty bucks in my wallet if—”
His head snapped to the side with the impact of the slap. How could someone so big move so fast? Trevor stumbled and fell to the ground, his brain bouncing in his skull. He had been dealing with Sam and his man for months, but things had never turned violent.
“Get up.”
“I’m fine down here.”
The mountain kicked him in the gut. Shit was getting real. “Okay!” Panting and grimacing, Trevor managed to get back to his feet. “You think that Sam will see a single dollar if I’m dead?”
“Wounded isn’t dead.”
“I don’t have the money right now, and your punches won’t change that.”
“You’d be surprised how many people told me that before a few broken bones made them remember an old bank account.”
“Trevor?” Andy stood at the top of the staircase, his eyes wide with fear.
“Go back to your room. It’s okay.”
“Maybe your weird brother has some money.” Themountain took a step toward the stairs.
In an instance, Trevor’s pain was replaced by rage. He moved to block the mountain’s path. “Look at me.”
“I’m looking.”
“If you touch him, I’ll kill you. With a gun, a knife, or a fucking pen through your eye—it doesn’t matter. Touch him and you’re dead.”
The mountain scanned Trevor’s face, looking for a bluff, but there was none to be found because Trevor had meant every word. “Jesus, relax.” The mountain took a step back.
“I’m working on getting Sam his money. Hit me again, or even look at my brother, and you’ll get nothing. You think it will be hard for us to disappear with millions in our pockets?”
“You’re playing with fire, Trevor.”
He spread his arms. “That’s the only way I know how to play. Now fuck off.”
